TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba denied reports he plans to announce his resignation over a historic defeat of his ruling party in a weekend election, saying instead he wanted to make sure a new tariff agreement with the United States is appropriately implemented.
Ishiba has been under growing pressure to step down as his ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, lost their majority in the 248-member upper house, the smaller and less powerful of Japan’s two-chamber parliament on Sunday, shaking his grip on power and Japan’s political stability.
The loss means Ishiba’s ruling coalition, which also lost a majority in the more powerful lower house in October, now lacks a majority in both houses of parliament, making it even more difficult for his government to achieve any policy goals and worsening Japan’s political instability.
Ishiba had announced his intention Monday to stay on to tackle pressing challenges, including tariff talks with the U.S., without creating a political vacuum, sparking calls from inside and outside his own party for a quick resignation to respond to the election results.
With the tariff deal with the U.S. paving the way for his possible departure, Japanese media said he is expected to soon announce plans to step down in August.
The Yomiuri newspaper, in an extra edition Wednesday, said Ishiba had decided to announce his resignation by the end of July after receiving a detailed report from his chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, paving the way for a party leadership vote to choose his successor.
Ishiba denied the report and said he wants to focus on the U.S. trade deal, which covers more than 4,000 goods affecting many Japanese producers and industries.
Ishiba, who met party heavyweights and former prime ministers Taro Aso, Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday at party headquarters, told reporters afterwards that they did not discuss his resignation or a new party leadership contest. They only discussed the election results, shared the sense of crisis and confirmed the need to avoid party discord, he said.
Ishiba welcomed the trade agreement Wednesday, which places a 15% tax on Japanese cars and other goods imported into the U.S. from Japan, down from the initial 25%, saying it was a product of tough negotiations to protect the national interest and that it would help benefit both sides as they work together to create more jobs and investment.
But Ishiba declined to comment on his possible move and only told reporters that he has to closely examine the trade deal first.
In Sunday’s election, voters frustrated with price increases exceeding the pace of wage hikes, especially younger people who have long felt ignored by the ruling government’s focus on senior voters, rapidly turned to emerging conservative and rightwing populist parties, like the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito.
None of the opposition parties have shown interest in forming a full-fledged alliance with the governing coalition but they have said they are open to cooperating on policy.
